High-speed controlling device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a high-speed controlling device, suitable for displacing a switching element between two positions with very short switching times. Said device comprises two switchable electromagnets, between which an armature, with a driven coupling to the switching element, is arranged. According to the invention, said armature contacts the first electromagnet in the first position of the switching element and contacts the other electromagnet in the second position of the switching element. In order to obtain particularly short switching times for the switching element, the armature can be firmly secured to a shaft, which is rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis and to which said switching element is also fixed in an axially offset manner in relation to the armature.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Application No.101 40 706.8 filed Aug. 18, 2001. Applicants also claim priority under35 U.S.C. §365 of PCT/DE02/02992 filed Aug. 16, 2002. The Internationalapplication under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a high-speed actuating device suitablefor actuating a switching device between two switch positions in veryshort switching times, having the features of the preamble of Claim 1.

2. The Prior Art

In certain applications, a mechanical switching device must be actuatedbetween two switch positions within an extremely short switching time.For example, German Patent DE 37 37 824 A1 describes a method ofoperating an internal combustion engine. This internal combustion enginehas an intake channel leading to at least one combustion chamber of theengine, at least one intake valve which is situated between the intakechannel and each combustion chamber and determines the start of intakeand the conclusion of intake into the combustion chamber and anadditional valve situated upstream from the intake valve. According tothe known operating method, this additional valve is opened when theintake valve is opened and is closed temporarily during a period of timethat maintains an interval from the beginning of intake to the end ofintake. Due to this procedure, dynamic effects in the intake stroke ofthe piston being actuated in the respective combustion chamber can beutilized to increase the loading of the combustion chamber with freshair. In addition, definitely shorter opening times, in particular aplurality of opening times, can be implemented within the opening periodof the intake valve through appropriate operation of the additionalvalve, and these opening times can also be shifted toward “early” or“late” relatively arbitrarily within said opening period. To thisextent, with the help of the additional valve, which can be operatedappropriately, it is possible to implement variable valve control unitseven if the actual valve control, e.g., by means of a camshaft, isinvariant per se.

To open and close the additional valve during the opening time of theintake valve(s) once or more, very short switching times must beimplemented for the additional valve. The switching times required toaccomplish this amount to about 2 ms in this specific embodiment.Switching times of about 10 ms can be achieved with traditional electricmotors.

International Patent WO 98/42953 discloses a high-speed actuating devicehaving two switchable electromagnets between which is arranged anarmature that is drive-coupled to the switching device, which isdesigned as an intake valve or exhaust valve of an internal combustionengine. In the first switch position of the valve, the armature is incontact with the one electromagnet, while in the second switch position,it comes to rest against the other electromagnet. The armature here isconnected by way of a connecting part to a rotating rod, which isrigidly clamped on a stationary component of the actuating device. Anoperating element is mounted on the armature, cooperating with the valvefor at least an opening stroke. The known high-speed actuating deviceserves here as a valve drive in an engine with which variable controltimes for the respective valve can be implemented. At a high rotationalspeed of the internal combustion engine, actuating times ofapproximately 3 ms can be achieved with the help of such a high-speedactuating device.

However, there is a demand for a high-speed actuating device with thehelp of which it is possible to implement even shorter switching times.For the other type of application mentioned above for operation of anadditional valve, this means, for example, shortening the switchingtimes by at least 30%.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,365 describes a high-speed actuating device of thetype defined in the preamble, which is suitable for adjusting aswitching element designed as a switching flap between two switchpositions with very short switching times. The switching valve issituated in a gas-carrying line, namely in an intake channel of aninternal combustion engine upstream from an intake valve; in a firstswitch position, it can close off the line cross section, and in thesecond switch position, it can open the line cross section. With theknown high-speed switching device, the switching flap is prestressed inits closed position with the help of a prestressing spring. Anelectromagnet is provided, holding the switching flap in its closedposition, so that in the filling stroke of the piston, a vacuum pulsecan be built up on the cylinder end. As soon as the electromagnetreleases the switching flap, the vacuum on the cylinder end causes theswitching flap to open. As soon as the pressure on the switching flap isequalized, the restoring spring can adjust the switching flap back intoits closed position in which it can then be held again by theelectromagnet. The known high-speed actuating device thus operatespassively, namely as a function of the piston movement. However, itwould be desirable to have a high-speed adjusting device which can beused much more flexibly and nevertheless permits extremely shortswitching times.

British Patent 1,572,299 discloses another high-speed actuating devicewith the help of which a deflector plate can be switched between two endpositions. This deflector plate works as a shunt in a conveyor zone forbulk printed matter or the like and is drive-connected via a shaft to anarmature. This armature is rotatably adjustable about the longitudinalaxis between two electromagnets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with the problem of providing anembodiment for a high-speed actuating device of the type defined in thepreamble, so that particularly short switching times can be implemented.In addition, the high-speed actuating device should have a compactdesign, in particular to thereby make it possible to accommodate thehigh-speed actuating device in the engine space of a motor vehicle.

This problem is solved according to this invention by a high-speedactuating device having the features of claim 1.

This invention is based on the general idea of designing the high-speedactuating device as a rotational drive in which the armature drives theswitching device to execute pivoting adjustments as directly aspossible. This is achieved by a rotatably mounted shaft on which boththe armature and the switching device are fixedly mounted. Thus, in thisdesign, the switching device is designed to be rotationally adjustablebetween its two switch positions by rotating about the longitudinal axisof this shaft. Due to the design according to this invention, the massesto be moved by the high-speed actuating device are relatively close tothe rotational center of the actuating movement, so that relatively lowmoments of inertia are achieved on the whole. Smaller moments of inertiapromote faster switching times, and at the same time the energy demandfor implementation of the short switching times is reduced. Thehigh-speed actuating device can therefore be designed to be compact.

According to an especially advantageous embodiment, each electromagnetmay have a yoke on which is provided a stop surface for the armatureagainst which the armature comes to rest in one of its switch positions.The yoke should be interrupted in the area of the stop surface by a gapwhich is bridged by the armature when the armature is in contact withthe stop surface. Due to this measure, there is a controlled shaping ofthe magnetic field created by the yoke in the area of the stop surface,so as to achieve an extreme increase in the magnetic attractive forcesacting on the armature. Whereas the magnetic field lines run essentiallyinside the yoke up to the gap, a convex curve is obtained for bridgingthe gap, extending toward the armature, where it creates a correspondingpolarization.

The smaller the gap width of the gap, the more pronounced is thecurvature of the magnetic field lines. An embodiment in which theopening width of the gap is smaller than the thickness of the armatureis preferred, the thickness being measured across the radial extent ofthe armature and across the axial extent of the armature.

In a special refinement, the yoke may have a cross section which taperstoward the gap at least in an end section which ends at the gap. As aresult of this measure, there is a concentration of the magnetic fieldlines toward the stop surface in the end section having the taperedcross section, so that the bulging of the magnetic field lines towardthe armature can be additionally increased. Thus, this measure alsoresults in an increase in the magnetic attractive forces acting on thearmature.

According to an advantageous refinement, a spring element may be coupledto the shaft, with this coupling taking place in such a manner that inthe two switch positions of the switching device, the spring elementinitiates a restoring torque into the shaft, driving the switchingdevice in the direction of the other switch position, and the springelement does not initiate any restoring torque into the shaft in amiddle position of the switching device. Due to this design, the springelement acts more or less as a storage device for potential energy whichis fully loaded in both switch positions and manifests its maximum poweroutput to accelerate the armature in switching the electromagnets at thebeginning of the rotational adjustment, i.e., at a point in time whenthe magnetic field must be built up.

A particularly compact design is obtained when the shaft is designed asa hollow shaft and the spring element is designed as a torsion rod,which extends coaxially in the hollow shaft and is connected to thehollow shaft in a rotationally fixed manner at one end and to astationary component of the high-speed actuating device in arotationally fixed manner at the other end. In other words, the torsionrod is rigidly clamped with the end which leads out of the hollow shaft.This design also has the advantage that the torsion rod has a minimummoment of inertia due to its central arrangement in the hollow shaft andthereby maximum accelerations are supported.

According to a particularly clever design, on the end of the torsion rodwhich is assigned to the switching device, the torsion rod may bemounted on the end of the hollow shaft assigned to the armature, whilethe hollow shaft is radially supported directly or indirectly on thetorsion rod. This design simplifies the mounting of the hollow shaft inthe area of the rigidly clamped end of the torsion rod.

The problem on which the present invention is based is also solved by anapplication according to claim 18.

Additional important features and advantages of this invention arederived from the subclaims, the drawings and the respective descriptionof the figures on the basis of the drawings.

It is self-evident that the features mentioned above and also to beexplained in greater detail below can be used not only in thecombination given here but also in any other combinations or even alonewithout going beyond the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred exemplary embodiments of this invention are illustrated in thedrawings and are explained in greater detail in the followingdescription, where the same reference notation is used to refer to thesame or functionally same or similar components.

The drawings show the following in schematic diagrams:

FIGS. 1A–1C basic diagrams of a particular application of the presentinvention in various positions of a switching device;

FIG. 2 a longitudinal section through an inventive high-speed actuatingdevice;

FIG. 3 a cross section according to the sectional lines III in FIG. 2through the high-speed actuating device;

FIG. 4 a highly simplified cross section like that in FIG. 3 but inanother embodiment; and

FIG. 5 a circuit configuration for connecting an electromagnet of thehigh-speed actuating device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to FIGS. 1A through 1C, an engine (not shown in detail), inparticular in a motor vehicle, has an intake channel 1 which may also bereferred to below as a fresh air supply line. The engine may be designedas a diesel engine or an internal combustion engine as well as anaspirating engine or a supercharged engine. The intake channel 1 leadsto at least one combustion chamber 2 of the engine, which is provided ina cylinder 3 in which a piston 4 is mounted so that it has an adjustablestroke. An intake channel 5 is situated at the transition between theintake channel 1 and the combustion chamber 2; likewise, embodimentshaving a plurality of intake valves 5 are also possible. Upstream fromthis intake valve 5, an additional valve 6, which is provided in theintake channel 1, may also be referred to below as a switching device.This additional valve or switching device 6 is designed here as aswitching flap 7 and may be used, for example, to improve the filling ofthe combustion chamber 2 with fresh air in that dynamic flow effects areutilized in the process of filling the combustion chamber 2 throughtargeted switch operation of the additional valve 6. The intake channelor the fresh air supply line 1 thus forms a gas-carrying line in theapplication illustrated here, its line cross section optionally beingopened or closed with the help of the switching device 6.

For operation of the additional valve or the switching device 6, ahigh-speed actuating device 8 is provided and is drive-connected to theadditional valve 6 in a suitable manner. The drive connection isrepresented symbolically by a dotted-line arrow 9 in FIGS. 1A through1C. A suitable controller 10 is provided for controlling the high-speedactuating device 8.

With the help of the high-speed actuating device 8, the switching device6 is adjustable between a first switch position, which is illustrated inFIG. 1 and in which the switching device 6 closes off the line crosssection of the intake channel 1, to a middle position shown in FIG. 1Dand then to a second switch position shown in FIG. 1C, where theswitching device 6 opens (maximally) the line cross section of theintake channel 1. In the preferred embodiment shown here, the switchingflap 7 is arranged in the line cross section in such a way that itspivot axis 11 is essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal centralaxis 12 of the intake channel 1. According to the representationselected here, this pivot axis 11 is thus perpendicular to the plane ofthe drawing. In addition, the switching flap 7 is dimensioned andpositioned in such a way that in its first switch position according toFIG. 1A, it runs at an angle α to a plane 13, which is perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis 12 of the intake channel 1 and/or in which theline cross section of the intake channel 1 is situated. In theembodiment shown here, this angle α is 45°. This arrangement yields areduction in the actuation path or actuation angle which is necessary topivot the switch flap 7 between its two switch positions according toFIG. 1A and FIG. 1C, because in the second switch position according toFIG. 1C, the switch flap 7 runs essentially parallel to the line axis 12to achieve a maximum degree of opening so that the angle of rotation bywhich the switch flap 7 must be pivoted between its switch positionsaccording to FIGS. 1A and 1C is only 45°. It is clear that the switchingtimes necessary to adjust the switch flap 7 are thereby reducedaccordingly.

According to FIGS. 2 and 3, the high-speed actuating device 8 accordingto this invention has two electromagnets 14 and 15, which are arrangedin a V shape in cross section according to FIG. 3. Each electromagnet14, 15 has a coil 16 and a yoke 17 which surrounds one half of the coil16 in a ring shape except for a gap 18. The yokes 17 are usually made ofa relatively easily magnetizable iron or steel, and in particular theyokes 17 are made of sheet metal in a sandwich structure. Theelectromagnets 14, 15 are thus designed to be switchable. For simplifiedproduction, it is expedient to assemble the yokes 17 of at least twoindividual parts, whereby the coil 16, which has already been completelywound in advance simultaneously with the assembly of the yokes, can beused and/or the unwound coil 16 can be used and can be wound relativelyeasily.

Between the electromagnets 14 and 15 there is an armature 19, which isadjustably mounted so it can rotate about a pivot axis 20. To this end,the armature 19 is connected to a shaft 21 in a rotationally fixedmanner. The armature 19 may be welded to the shaft 2, for example, or itmay be manufactured in one piece with it. In the two-part variant, it ispossible to manufacture the shaft 21 and the armature 19 from differentmaterials. The armature 19 is preferably made of an easily magnetizableiron or steel, but it may be advantageous for the shaft 21 to be made ofan iron or steel that is difficult or impossible to magnetize, e.g.,austenitic steel. The shaft 21 is mounted in radial bearings 22 and 23on both sides of the armature 19 so it can be adjusted by rotation.

According to FIG. 2, the switching device 6, which is designed here asan elliptical switching flap 7, is also rotationally fixedly connectedto the shaft 21. The switching device 6 here is axially offset from thearmature 19 on the shaft 21. It is expedient for the switching flap 7 tobe made essentially of an extremely lightweight material, in particularCFK or GFK plastic cloth, whereby the switching flap 7 has a sleeve 24,preferably metallic in the exemplary embodiment shown here, this sleevebeing tied into the lightweight construction material of the otherswitching flap 7. The sleeve 24 is rotationally fixedly connected to theshaft 21, particular by welding or gluing. Since the switching valve 7is mounted on the same shaft 21 as the armature 19, the swivel axis 11of the switching valve 7 coincides with the swivel axis 20 of thearmature 19.

According to FIG. 2, the high-speed actuating device 8 is designed as amodule, which can be inserted into the intake channel 1 according toFIGS. 1A through 1C, for example, whereby the high-speed actuatingdevice 8 comprises a corresponding channel section 24 in which theswitching device 6 is situated.

According to the preferred embodiment shown here, the shaft 21 isdesigned as a hollow shaft in which a torsion rod 26 extends coaxially.On its end 27 which is assigned to the armature 19 and is shown at theleft in FIG. 2, this torsion rod 26 is rotationally fixedly connected tothe end 42 of the shaft 21 there. For example, radial gear teeth withteeth running axially may be provided in the area of these ends 27, 42.The torsion rod 26 is rigidly clamped on its end 28, which is assignedto the switching device 6 and is shown at the right of FIG. 2. To thisend, this right end 28 is rotationally fixedly connected to an immovablecomponent 29 of the high-speed actuating device 8, e.g., again by way ofmultiple gear teeth. This component 29 may form, for example, a part ofa housing of the high-speed actuating device 8.

The shaft 21 is mounted in the area of the switching device 6, becausethe shaft 21 is rotationally supported by the sleeve 24 on its end 30,which faces way from the armature 19, and by a bushing 31 on the torsionrod 26. This support is provided essentially radially, thus achievingcentering of the shaft 21 due to an appropriate contouring of thebushing 31.

The central position of the armature 19 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3correlates with the central position of the switching device 6 shown inFIG. 1B. In this central position of the armature 19 and/or theswitching device 6, the tension on the torsion rod 26 is released, i.e.,it does not initiate any restoring torque into the shaft 21.

The switch positions shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C each correspond to amaximum deflection or rotational adjustment of the armature 19 about theangle α in one direction of rotation or the other. The armature 19 thencomes to rest with a corresponding stop surface 32 of the respectiveyoke 17 over a large area. In this switch position the torsion rod 26 ismaximally rotated, storing up potential energy and initiating a maximumrestoring torque into the shaft 21 which attempts to drive the armature19 into the other switch position. In order for the armature 19 toremain in the particular switch position, the corresponding retainingforces must be introduced into the armature 19 via the electromagnets 14and 15.

The gap 18 in the yoke 17 through which the magnetic field lines aredeflected in the direction of the armature 19 serves to generate theserelatively high retaining forces. The narrower this gap 18, the morepronounced is the bulging of the field lines. The opening width of thisgap 18 is expediently dimensioned to be smaller than a thickness 43 ofthe yoke 17, which is measured next to the stop surface 32, across theaxial extent of the yoke 17 and across the stop surface 32. In thepresent case, the opening width of the gap 18 is even smaller than athickness 33 of the armature 19, as measured across the radial extent ofthe armature 19 and across the axial extent of the armature 19. As anadditional measure to influence the field lines in the case of a yoke17, an end section 34 adjacent to the gap 18 is provided with a crosssection which decreases down to an end 35 of the yoke 17 situated in thegap 18, causing the field lines to be concentrated in the direction ofthe stop surface 32. In addition, the gap 18 is positioned so that it isapproximately at the center of the armature 19 when the armature 19 isadjacent to the stop surface 32, so that the armature 19 can bridge thefield lines between the opposite ends 35 and 36 of the yoke 17 in thegap 18. The measures described here for influencing the magnetic fieldlines increase the magnetic attractive forces in effect in the armature19, so that the available power can be converted to torque on the shaft21 in a particularly advantageous manner.

To be able to implement particularly rapid switching times, the massesto be moved in the present invention are also kept as small as possible,so that in particular minimum moments of inertia are the goal. To thisend, the armature 19 is designed to be relatively short with regard toits radial extent from the pivot axis 20. According to FIG. 3, thearmature 19 is designed in this radial direction at least to be muchsmaller than a side 37 of the yoke 17 having the stop surface 32 facingthe armature 19. The center of gravity is therefore shifted in thedirection of the pivot axis 20. To be able to implement an armature 19which is short in the radial direction, the yokes 17 are situated veryclose the shaft 21. The yokes 17 and the shaft 21 are preferablyadjacent to one another without coming in contact. In the embodimentshown here, on each yoke 17 one corner 38 is chamfered to therebyposition the shaft 21 closer to or virtually inside the interspacebetween the yokes 17.

As an additional measure to reduce the masses to be moved, the crosssection of the armature 19 through which the magnetic field lines flow,i.e., the cross section of the armature 19 which extends over thethickness 33 in the axial direction, is designed to be much smaller thanthe cross section of the yoke 17 through which the magnetic field linesflow outside of the stop surface 32 and/or outside of the tapered endsection 34. In the embodiment shown here, the cross section of thearmature 19 through which the magnetic field lines flow is approximatelyhalf as large as the cross section of the yokes 17 through which themagnetic field lines flow.

To be able to transmit sufficiently large forces to the armature 19, itis considerably longer in the axial direction of the shaft 21 than inthe radial direction (see FIG. 2). Preferably the extent of the armature19 in the axial direction is at least two or three times greater thanthat in the radial direction. In the exemplary embodiment shown here,the axial extent of the armature 19 is more than four times greater thanits radial extent. It is clear that the electromagnets 14 and 15 and/ortheir coils 16 and yokes 17 accordingly have a corresponding axialextent to be able to introduce the desired forces into the armature overthe entire axial length of the armature 19.

According to FIG. 4, as an additional measure for reducing the movingmasses, an end 39 of the armature 19 at a distance from the swivel axis20 may have beveled flanks 40, in which case then the stop surfaces 32will have a complementary stop flank 41. In addition, the orientation ofthe field lines in the direction of the armature 19 can also beinfluenced by these stop flanks 41, thus yielding an additionalreinforcement of the attractive or repulsive effect.

The high-speed actuating device 8 according to this invention operatesas follows:

Starting from the middle position of the armature shown in FIGS. 2through 4 and thus also the middle position of the switching device 6,the armature 19 is first actuated into one of its two switch positions.This is expediently the open position shown in FIG. 1C. Since thetorsion rod 26 is designed for generating extremely high restoringtorques, the desired switch position can be approached directly from themiddle position only with a very high electric power. Therefore, it isadvantageous to have the sequence of a starting procedure prior tooperation; in this starting procedure, through a specific sequence ofpolarity reversal processes, oscillation is induced in the oscillatingsystem formed by the rotating rod 26, the shaft 21, the armature 19 andthe switching device 6, with their amplitudes increasing progressively.This “build up” of the oscillating system is continued until thearmature 19 comes to rest in the desired switch position on thecorresponding yoke 17.

For switching between one switch position and the other switch position,the electromagnets 14 and 15 are turned on in alternation. The armature19 is accelerated toward the other switch position due to the attractiveforces which are then built up and act in opposition. At the same time,the torsion rod 26 can relax, so that the acceleration of the armature19 is extremely increased precisely in the initial phase of theactuating movement. The pivoting adjustment of the armature 19 over thecommon shaft 21 at the same time produces a corresponding pivotingadjustment of the switching device 6. The use of the torsion rod 26 hereas a driving means and as an energy storage device is particularlyadvantageous because the torsion rod 26 itself has only a low moment ofinertia and therefore its driving energy can be transmitted to the shaft21 with virtually no retardation.

For operation, i.e., triggering, of the electromagnets 14 and 15, acircuit configuration 44 according to FIG. 5 is preferred. Such acircuit configuration 44 uses chopping of the current flow through thecoil 16 of the respective electromagnet 14, 15. With regard tohigh-speed electromagnets 14, 15, this type of triggering offersconsiderable advantages in comparison with other principles. With thehelp of this triggering, the three following states of theelectromagnets 14, 15 must be implemented in particular under alloperating conditions: energy supply, energy maintenance and energydissipation. As a rule a so-called H-bridge is used for this purpose andis also implemented in the circuit configuration 44 in FIG. 5, wherebyinstead of the diodes 45, corresponding transistors may also be used. Anon/off transistor 46 is used for turning the coil 16 of the respectiveelectromagnet 14 or 15 on and off. This on/off transistor 46 is operatedby a switch 47. A chopper current regulator 48 compares an actualcurrent which can be determined with the help of a measurement element49 with a setpoint current which is predetermined at 50, e.g., by anengine control unit. The chopper current regulator 48 operates a choppertransistor, i.e., a chopper transistor configuration 51, as a functionof this comparison, to thereby regulate the current flow from a powersupply 52 to the coil 16 of the respective electromagnet 14 or 15 at thesetpoint level. In addition, two series resistors 53 are provided in thecircuit configuration 44.

The measurement element 49 has a definite point of reference due to thearrangement of the measurement element 49 which is selected in thepreferred embodiment of the circuit configuration 44 shown here andwhich is preferably designed as a current sensor or as a measuring shunton the emitter of the on/off transistor 46. This makes is possible forthe current flow to be reliably detected with the help of themeasurement element 49 during the entire period of energization of thecoil 16. In addition, the circuit configuration 44 presented here hasthe advantage that the chopper transistor 51 can be designed as aso-called high transistor and consequently also the predetermination ofthe setpoint current has a definite reference point to the actualcurrent. The H-bridge shown in the circuit configuration 44 ischaracterized in that the measurement element 49 is situated between theon/off transistor 46 and the reference point for the currentmeasurement, with the chopper transistor 51 as the high transistor alsobeing applied to the other pole of the operating voltage. This designhas a positive effect on the measurement dynamics and consequently alsoon the switching frequency of the electromagnets 14, 15 that can beachieved with the help of the circuit configuration 44 shown here. Inaddition, the circuit configuration shown here can also maintain thefluctuations in the chopped current flow with sufficient accuracy whilethe inductance is variable.

Chopping the current flow may be accomplished, for example, as afunction of a predetermined chopper frequency. Likewise, it is possibleto perform the chopping with the help of predetermined current limitswhich are selected to be relatively narrow between which the currentflow fluctuates during the chopping.

1. A high-speed actuating device suitable for actuating a switching flapbetween two switch positions with very short switching times, wherebythe switching flap is situated in a gas-carrying line and closes off theline cross section in the first switch position and opens the line crosssection in the second switch position, wherein a) the high-speedactuating device has two switchable electromagnets between which isarranged an armature which is drive-coupled to the switching flap,whereby the armature is in contact with the one electromagnet in thefirst switch position of the switching flap and is in contact with theother electromagnet in the second switch position of the switching flapdevice, b) the armature is fixedly connected to a shaft which is mountedto rotate about its longitudinal axis, and the switching flap is alsofixedly mounted but is axially offset in relation to the armature, andc) each electromagnet has a yoke on which is provided a stop surface forthe armature against which the armature comes to rest in one of theswitch positions, whereby the yoke is interrupted in the area of thestop surface by a gap which is bridged by the armature when the armatureis in contact with the stop surface, and d) the yoke has a cross sectionwhich tapers to the gap on an end section which terminates at the gap.2. The high-speed actuating device according to claim 1, wherein theopening width of the gap is smaller than the thickness of the yoke asmeasured next to the stop surface and across the axial extent of theyoke and across the stop surface or is smaller than the thickness of thearmature measured across the radial extent and across the axial extentof the armature.
 3. The high-speed actuating device according to claim1, wherein the electromagnets are positioned in relation to the shaft sothat the yokes are arranged close to the shaft.
 4. The high-speedactuating device according to claim 1, wherein with respect to theshaft, the armature is larger in the axial direction, in particular atleast two, three or four times larger than in the radial direction. 5.The high-speed actuating device according to claim 1, wherein a springelement is coupled to the shaft, with the coupling being accomplished insuch a way that in both switch positions of the switching flap, thespring element initiates a restoring torque into the shaft driving theswitching flap in the direction of the other switch position, and in acentral position of the switching flap, the spring element does notinitiate any restoring torque into the shaft.
 6. The high-speedactuating device according to claim 5, wherein the shaft is designed asa hollow shaft, and the spring element is designed as a torsion rodwhich extends coaxially in the hollow shaft, is connected at one end ina rotationally fixed manner to the hollow shaft and at the other end ina rotationally fixed manner to a stationary component of the high-speedactuating device.
 7. The high-speed actuating device according to claim6, wherein the torsion rod is attached to the end of the hollow shaftassigned to the armature, and on its end assigned to the switching flap,the hollow shaft is supported radially in a rotationally adjustablemanner on the torsion rod either directly or indirectly.
 8. Thehigh-speed actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the switchingflap which is arranged in the line cross section in such a way that theshaft stands essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of theline.
 9. The high-speed actuating device according to claim 1, whereinthe switch flap extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe line in its second switch position, which opens the line crosssection, and in its first switch position which closes the line crosssection, the switch flap tends at an inclination to the line crosssection.
 10. The high-speed actuating device according to claim 9,wherein the switch flap extends at an angle of approximately 45° to theline cross section in its first switch position which seals off the linecross section.
 11. The high-speed actuating device according to claim 8,wherein the gas-carrying line is formed by a fresh air supply line of aninternal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, whichsupplies fresh air to at least one combustion chamber of the internalcombustion engine, whereby the switching flap is situated upstream fromat least one intake valve of the particular combustion chamber in thefresh air supply line.
 12. A method of using a high-speed actuatingdevice suitable for switching a switching flap in an internal combustionengine, comprising the steps of: a) providing a high-speed actuatingdevice having first and second switchable electromagnets, the firstelectromagnet having a first yoke provided with a first stop surface andthe second electromagnet having a second yoke provided with a secondstop surface; b) arranging between the switchable electromagnets anarmature drive-coupled to a switching flap having first and secondswitch positions situated upstream from at least one intake valve in anintake channel leading to at least one combustion chamber of theinternal combustion engine, the armature being in contact with the firstelectromagnet in the first switch position of the switching flap againstthe first stop surface and being in contact with the secondelectromagnet in the second switch position of the switching flap deviceagainst the second stop surface, the first yoke being interrupted nearthe first stop surface by a first gap bridged by the armature when thearmature is in contact with the first stop surface and the second yokebeing interrupted near the second stop surface by a second gap bridgedby the armature when the armature is in contact with the second stopsurface, each yoke having a cross section tapering to the respective gapon a respective end section terminating at the gap; c) connecting thearmature to a shaft mounted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of theshaft, and mounting the switching flap so as to be axially offset inrelation to the armature; and d) using the high-speed actuating deviceto switch the switching flap.
 13. The method according to claim 12wherein the internal combustion engine is disposed in a motor vehicle.14. A high-speed actuating device suitable for actuating a switchingflap between two switch positions with very short switching times,whereby the switching flap is situated in a gas-carrying line and closesoff the line cross section in the first switch position and opens theline cross section in the second switch position, wherein a) thehigh-speed actuating device has two switchable electromagnets betweenwhich in arranged an armature which is drive-coupled to the switchingflap, whereby the armature is in contact with the one electromagnet inthe first switch position of the switching flap and is in contact withthe other electromagnet in the second switch position of the switchingflap device, b) the armature is fixedly connected to a shaft which ismounted to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and the switching flap isalso fixedly mounted but is axially offset in relation to the armature,c) each electromagnet has a yoke on which is provided a stop surface forthe armature against which the armature comes to rest in one of theswitch positions, whereby the yoke is interrupted in the area of thestop surface by a gap which is bridged by the armature when the armatureis in contact with the stop surface, and d) with respect to the shaft,the radial extent of the armature is shorter than one side of the yokeon which the stop surface is designed.
 15. The high-speed actuatingdevice according to claim 14 wherein the radial extent of the armatureis half as large as one side of the yoke on which the stop surface isdesigned.
 16. A high-speed actuating device suitable for actuating aswitching flap between two switch positions with very short switchingtimes, whereby the switching flap is situated in a gas-carrying line andcloses off the line cross section in the first switch position and opensthe line cross section in the second switch position, wherein a) thehigh-speed actuating device has two switchable electromagnets betweenwhich is arranged an armature which is drive-coupled to the switchingflap, whereby the armature is in contact with the one electromagnet inthe first switch position of the switching flap and is in contact withthe other electromagnet in the second switch position of the switchingflap device, b) the armature is fixedly connected to a shaft which ismounted to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and the switching flap isalso fixedly mounted but is axially offset in relation to the armature,c) each electromagnet has a yoke on which is provided a stop surface forthe armature against which the armature comes to rest in one of theswitch positions, whereby the yoke is interrupted in the area of thestop surface by a gap which is bridged by the armature when the armatureis in contact with the stop surface, and d) the cross section of thearmature in the direction of flux of the magnetic field is smaller thanthe cross section of the yoke outside of the stop surface.
 17. Thehigh-speed actuating device according to claim 16 wherein the crosssection of the armature in the direction of flux of the magnetic fieldis halt as large as the cross section of the yoke outside of the stopsurface.
 18. A high-speed actuating device suitable for actuating aswitching flap between two switch positions with very short switchingtimes, whereby the switching flap is situated in a gas-carrying line andcloses off the line cross section in the first switch position and opensthe line cross section in the second switch position, wherein a) thehigh-speed actuating device has two switchable electromagnets betweenwhich is arranged an armature which is drive-coupled to the switchingflap, whereby the armature is in contact with the one electromagnet inthe first switch position of the switching flap and is in contact withthe other electromagnet in the second switch position of the switchingflap device, b) the armature is fixedly connected to a shaft which ismounted to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and the switching flap isalso fixedly mounted but is axially offset in relation to the armature,and c) a switching arrangement which is provided for switching theelectromagnets is designed as an H-bridge, has an on/off transistor anda chopper transistor which is controlled by a chopper current regulatoras a function of a comparison between a predetermined or predeterminablesetpoint current and an actual current, which can be determined with thehelp of a measurement element, whereby the measurement element isconnected to the emitter of the on/off transistor on the one hand and toground on the other hand.